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How to bathe your dog correctly

Use these easy steps to keep your canine buddy clean and happy.

Spring has sprung (or at least it seems that way)! Our pets have
endured an unseasonably warm and muddy winter and may be in need of some spring
cleaning. Proper animal care is essential to the health and happiness of our
pets. Just like everything else, there is a correct and incorrect way to bathe
man’s best friend. By following these simple steps, you can help your dog get
and stay clean just in time for some summer fun.

First, remember that your dog doesn’t need to be bathed regularly. It
is appropriate to bathe your dog when they are dirty and odorous.

It is
important that you gather all of the supplies and tools that you will need
before you begin the bathing process. Have your water, shampoo, combs, scrub
brushes and towels in the area where you are bathing.

Once you have your
supplies, you should first brush out all the tangles and mattes that may be on
your dog. They only worsen when they get wet.

After your dog is brushed, you
are ready to begin washing! Hold your dog gently but firmly and wet it, moving
from the head toward the tail.

After you have worked the
shampoo completely through your dog’s coat, rinse thoroughly, again, beginning
at the head and working back through the tail. Be careful not to get shampoo in
the dog’s eyes or ears.

Once all of the shampoo has been removed, towel excess
water out of the dog’s coat.

You can choose to allow your dog to air dry,
depending on the temperature in your home or outside, or you can use a blow
dryer set on low to dry the dog.

It is important to talk to your dog as you go through the bathing
process. Your voice will help calm and soothe him. At the end of the bath,
reward your dog with a treat to positively reinforce that he has done a good
job. While you are bathing your dog, you can also take the opportunity to clean
your dog’s teeth, ears and eyes.

Companion animals enrich our daily lives! We can enrich our pets lives
by ensuring that they are well taken care of.

June 20, 2017 | Beverly Przystas | Across the state, Michigan State University Extension is helping youth, adults and communities grow and prosper. Let’s take a look at how Gladwin County made impacts through Extension programs in 2016.

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Michigan State University Extension| With a goal of ensuring every Michigan child is prepared with the knowledge, tools and skills to lead a healthy and productive life, MSU Extension’s children and youth programming uses the experiential learning model through which children learn best.